church service
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church service
A religious ceremony or gathering in a church or another place of prayer, where people pray, sing, and a sermon is given.
Jeden Sonntag um zehn Uhr findet in unserer Gemeinde der Gottesdienst statt.
Every Sunday at ten o'clock, the church service takes place in our parish.
The word is a clear compound of 'Gott' (God; genitive: Gottes) and 'Dienst' (service). It literally means a 'service for God' or 'service to God'.
Der Gottesdienst ist ein zentraler Teil des Gemeindelebens.
The church service is a central part of parish life.
Pay attention to the difference in prepositions: you go 'in den Gottesdienst' (to the church service; accusative, direction), and you are or sing 'im Gottesdienst' (in the church service; dative, location).
Wir gehen sonntags immer in den Gottesdienst.
We always go to church service on Sundays.
Common verbs used with 'Gottesdienst' (church service) are 'einen Gottesdienst besuchen' (to attend a church service), 'einen Gottesdienst feiern' (to celebrate/hold a church service), or 'am Gottesdienst teilnehmen' (to take part in a church service). A pastor 'hält den Gottesdienst' (holds the church service).
Nächste Woche wird der Gottesdienst von einem Gastprediger gehalten.
Next week, the church service will be held by a guest preacher.
office / agency
'das Amt' and 'der Gottesdienst' can both mean a religious service. 'der Gottesdienst' is the general term for a religious gathering, for example in a church, with prayer, songs, and a sermon. In this meaning, 'das Amt' refers to a solemn Catholic church service and is much more specific. Learners may confuse the words because both occur in church contexts. If the religion or type of service is not important, 'Gottesdienst' fits better; 'Amt' only fits in this solemn Catholic sense.
Hannah besucht heute den Gottesdienst in ihrer Gemeinde.
Hannah is attending the church service in her parish today.
Wegen des Feiertags beginnt das feierliche Amt schon um neun Uhr.
Because of the holiday, the solemn mass begins at nine o'clock.